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Book: My Many Colored Days

Book: My Many Colored Days

Blog post and original recording by Kayla Davitt, MT-BC

Do you ever feel like your emotions can be all over the place? You might feel excited after receiving a compliment, but sad the next due to a loss or disappointment; anxious at what this year may bring, or confused with the state of the world. For children, it may be hard to process all of the emotions they are feeling at a time like this. My Many Colored Days by Dr. Seuss is a wonderful storybook to discuss emotions with your child and help them understand the different feelings they may have. 

To take it one step further, this storybook pairs perfectly with many different classical songs! For each color mentioned in the storybook, you can pair a song that sounds like that specific emotion. If you feel so inclined, be creative and share with your child the songs that you think of when you discuss the feelings and emotions in this storybook.  

Here is an example of a playlist (created by Kayla Davitt, MT-BC) that can be used in conjunction with or addition to the storybook: 

  1. Red – “Rodeo: Hoedown” by Aaron Copland
  2. Blue – “Sleeping Beauty: Prologue, No. 3” by Pytor Ilyich Tchaikovsky
  3. Brown – “Beau Soir” by Claude Debussy
  4. Yellow – “Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
  5. Gray – Theme from “The Snowman” by Sang Froid
  6. Orange – “Tarantella” (composer unknown)
  7. Green – “Carnival of the Animals: VII. Aquarium” by Camille Saint-Saens
  8. Purple – “Moonlight Sonata” by Ludwig van Beethoven
  9. Pink – “Chinese Dance” from “The Nutcracker” by Pytor Ilyich Tchaikovsky
  10. Black – “The Comedians Suite: V. Pantomime” by Dmitri Kabalevsky
  11. Mixed-up – “Take Five” by Dave Brubeck
  12. Back to me – “La Valse d’Amelie” by Yann Tierson

If you wish to use this playlist while reading this book with your child, click here to visit our SoundCloud page.

You can also use this storybook to practice facial expressions with your child. Demonstrate how your face looks when you feel angry, sad, excited, or down. Encourage your child to practice matching your facial expression in a mirror, then have them identify the emotion and its corresponding color in the book. This book provides for self-expression through movement as well! Colored scarves are a great addition to this activity (and you can work on color identification as well). Introduce a color, have your child identify that color, then play the corresponding song, identify the emotion, and encourage your child to move to the music. Pairing a movement with a specific emotion will help your child remember how their body feels while expressing that emotion.

We hope you enjoy using this storybook in your child’s schooling adventures, whether they be attending in-person, remotely, or both! 

If you would like to purchase a set of colored scarves, click here. 

If you would like to purchase “My Many Colored Days” by Dr. Seuss, click here.

Happy reading!

Explore More Books from Kayla!

Book: The Night Before Summer Vacation

Book: The Night Before Summer Vacation

Written & submitted by Kayla Davitt, MT-BC Excitement. Anticipation. Thoughts of the beach, the sand, and the sun. I can remember when I was younger how excited I would be on the night before a summer vacation trip - I wouldn’t be able to sleep! For many years, my...

Book: Hosea Plays On

Book: Hosea Plays On

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Book: The Star Spangled Banner

Book: The Star Spangled Banner

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Book: The 12 Days of Christmas

Book: The 12 Days of Christmas

Blog post submitted by Kayla Davitt, MT-BC

When someone asks you about your favorite Christmas or holiday song, what is the first song that comes to mind? “Silent Night?” “O Little Town of Bethlehem?” “Winter Wonderland?” “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer?” If you were to ask me to pick my favorite Christmas song, I would not have said “12 Days of Christmas.” But that was until I picked up this beautiful storybook illustrated by Laurel Long.

christmas song

“The Twelve Days of Christmas” is an iconic and classic Christmas song that most everyone who celebrates Christmas knows word-for-word. When you sing the song paired with this beautifully illustrated storybook, your child will be enticed from the start! While experiencing this storybook with your younger child, you can work on a multitude of skills including: sequencing, number and animal identification, and vocabulary building. If you have an older child, feel free to work on more complex skills such as addition, comprehension, and abstract thinking. Here are some thoughts to keep in mind:

Sequencing & number identification

This is a perfect storybook to work on your child’s ability to sequence items in a story. Printed pictures from the internet of each of the different items in the song can be used to work with your child on sequencing. Have them identify the picture that goes with each part of the song. You can also encourage your child to count the items in a picture and identify the corresponding number by pointing or writing the number on an index card or piece of paper.

Vocabulary building & animal identification

There are a lot of different animals included in this classic song. If there is an animal that your child does not recognize or can not identify, make that a learning opportunity! Look up pictures of the animal on the internet, look up the word in a dictionary, discuss how it is similar and different from other animals in the story. While identifying these animals, your child will also be building their vocabulary.

Addition

If your child is an older child, you can encourage them to add up the items on each page. Each line of the song involves a different number, so cumulative addition as the story progresses is a great way to practice their math skills!

Comprehension and abstract thought

An older child can also be encouraged to answer a variety of questions during the story: Why are there only 5 golden rings? How do the 8 maids milk the cows? What kind of music do the 9 ladies dance to? These questions can not be answered by the song in the story, so it will require your child to “think outside of the box.”

If you are more comfortable using a recording while experiencing this book with a child, here is a favorite rendition of mine performed by the famous Bing Crosby:

We hope you enjoy using this storybook in your child’s schooling adventures, whether they be attending in-person, remotely, or both! 

If you wish to purchase this book on Amazon, click here. 

Happy reading!

Book: One Little, Two Little, Three Little Pilgrims

Book: One Little, Two Little, Three Little Pilgrims

Blog post by Kayla Davitt, MT-BC

Song performed and recorded by Kayla Davitt, MT-BC

It’s that time of year where families are supposed to be gathering together at table, sharing food and laughter, and relaxing within the company of loved ones. For most of us, Thanksgiving celebrations will look very different this holiday season thanks to COVID-19. Families are being told it’s better to see only those in their immediate household. Large gatherings of people who do not live in the same household are frowned upon. For adults and children alike, these changes can be hard to digest. Young children may not understand what is going on in the world, but One Little, Two Little, Three Little Pilgrims by B.G. Hennessy will allow your child to focus on the meaning behind Thanksgiving and to be thankful for everything in their lives.

This particular storybook is geared more towards young children. It is a piggy-back song to the well-known tune of “One Little, Two Little, Three Little Indians.” Your child can engage in practicing a variety of skills such as counting, building vocabulary, and answering questions. While reading or singing this song to your child, here are some suggestions to keep in mind:

Practice counting numbers 1-10

There are many chances in this storybook for your child to practice counting from 1-10. It also gives them a chance to work on number sense by pointing to a different pilgrim, Wampanoag, or turkey while counting.

Build your child’s vocabulary

There are a variety of animals, vegetables, and tools presented in the colorful illustrations by Lynne Cravath. Encourage your child to identify different items throughout the book by pointing to them or saying the words out loud. This allows your child an opportunity to build on their speech production as well as to build their vocabulary.

Answer questions

Don’t be afraid to ask your child questions about anything in the storybook: How many pilgrims do you see? What are the Wampanoag doing now? Will they come together to give thanks for all they have? Young children may not be able to answer abstract questions, but encourage them to think outside of the box.

One of our music therapists, Kayla Davitt, has performed and recorded this well-known tune. Feel free to play this recording for your child and sing along with the storybook.

We hope you enjoy using this storybook in your child’s schooling adventures, whether they be attending in-person, remotely, or both! 

If you wish to purchase this book on Amazon, click here. 

Happy reading!

The post “Book: One Little, Two Little, Three Little Pilgrims” was originally published on Upstate Music Therapy Center,

Book: What A Wonderful World

Book: What A Wonderful World

Blog post written by Kayla Davitt, MT-BC

Take a moment and look outside. The world is full of beauty all around us! Especially this time of year, the outside world is changing in regards to colors, seasons, and weather. However, most of us don’t take the time throughout our busy days to look outside and be thankful for the beauty all around us.  What a Wonderful World encourages us to do just that: appreciate and be thankful for what we have. The storybook takes the famous song sung by Louis Armstrong, adds illustrations by Tim Hopgood, and creates a wonderful storybook to read with your children. It will encourage your children to look around them and maybe take on a different view of the world.

What a Wonderful World is a storybook that lends itself to be used with young children as well as older children. If your child is at a young age, this book can help develop their pre-academic/academic skills such as color identification, naming items, practicing vocabulary, and answering questions. Encourage your young child to think about what the world looks like to them. Why is the world wonderful? Do you see something beautiful? Though these questions are somewhat abstract, your child’s answers may surprise you!

This storybook can also be used with older children, especially at the beginning of the Thanksgiving season. You could ask your child about what they think makes the world wonderful. As this is a tumultuous time in our country and the world, maybe encourage your child to think about the problems of the world today and why those problems exist. Help them brainstorm some actions they can take in their daily lives that can make the world a wonderful place. Encourage them to be thankful for what they have and to share it with others.

Because this song is well-known around the world, feel free to sing it to your child. You can also listen to the wonderful voice of Louis Armstrong sing this time-honored classic:

We hope you enjoy using this book with your child whether they are learning at home or at school! For more resources and activities to use with your children, please visit our “Resources” tab located at the top of the page.

If you are interested in purchasing What a Wonderful World, click below to find it on Amazon.

Happy reading!

August Book: Hands to Heart

August Book: Hands to Heart

Blog post written by Kayla Davitt, MT-BC

Song performed and recorded by Jamie Swieringa, MT-BC

 

Stress. Stress of the unknown, stress of responsibilities. Now more than ever, we find ourselves in a time full of uncertainty. With schools announcing their plans for reopening, these times ahead are sure to be full of anxiety and worry. As adults, we have a better understanding of how to handle the stressors of everyday life. However, young children may not know how to express how they are feeling or how to regulate their bodies to bring them back to a state of calm. But, with Alex Bauermesiter’s book Hands to Heart: Breathe and Bend with Animal Friends, children will be able to relate their emotions with animals in the book and learn how to use yoga poses (demonstrated by the animals in the book) to calm themselves down and relax.

 

As a music therapy agency, we at UMTC find it extremely important to address the mental health of children through the use of music. One of our therapists, Jamie Swieringa, has written a melody to use along with this book in order to bring in the element of music to assist relaxation.

 

 

In order to get the most out of all this book has to offer, here are some suggestions to keep in mind:

Deep breathing

This book focuses a lot on simple yoga poses. However, your child will benefit more from the poses if they pair them with deep breathing. Encourage your child to breath from their belly while keeping their shoulders down. This type of breathing through the diaphragm will force our bodies to slow down and focus.

Adjust the poses as necessary

Most of the yoga poses in this book are straightforward, but some do involve laying on the floor. If your child is unable to lay on the floor for any reason, they can still do the poses! Everyone has different abilities, so it is perfectly acceptable to adjust the poses as necessary in order to help your child be most successful.

Zones of regulation

For those students that are older, you can use this book to identify the different zones of regulation. If you are not familiar with the zones of regulation, click here to learn more. It is a system in which emotions are put into colored categories: red, blue, green, and yellow. Encourage your child to identify how they are feeling, what zone that feeling is in, and what they can do to get themselves back to the “green zone” or a state of calm.

We hope you enjoy using this book in your homeschooling adventures! For more resources and activities to use with your children, please visit our “Resources” tab located at the top of the page.

 

If you are interested in purchasing Hands to Heart: Breathe and Bend with Animal Friends, click here.

 

Happy reading!

Book: Way Down Deep in the Deep Blue Sea

Book: Way Down Deep in the Deep Blue Sea

 

Blog post written by Kayla Davitt, MT-BC

Song performed and recorded by Jamie Swieringa, MT-BC

 

A sea turtle. A dolphin. A great white shark. These are just some of the creatures you may think of when picturing yourself swimming in the ocean. With this summer heat, everybody wants to be swimming, whether that be in a pool, a lake, the ocean, or even the bathtub! In Jan Peck’s storybook Way Down Deep in the Deep Blue Sea, young children will encounter numerous sea creatures while journeying through the ocean with the main character who is on a quest for pirate treasure!

 

Jamie Swieringa, a fellow music therapist and employee at UMTC, wrote a very creative and catchy melody to sing while reading this book with your child. Feel free to sing along with the recording or create your own melody!

 

 

At UMTC, our therapists strive to develop creative ways to incorporate music into everyday activities. Using this book during storytime with younger children is a great way to entice them into learning through music! This wonderfully illustrated storybook is mostly geared towards younger children. While reading this book with your child, you can address a multitude of skills such as animal identification, color identification, opposites (big/little, up/down, etc.), and appropriate social greetings using “hello” and “goodbye” in song. Here are a few suggestions to follow when reading this book with your child:

 

Animal and Color Identification

Most young children may be familiar with the more commonly pictured sea creatures such as turtles, dolphins, fish, or sharks. This storybook, however, features some creatures that may be less familiar to a young child: a hermit crab, starfish, sea horse, and swordfish! Encourage your child to become more familiar with these sea creatures by describing them in detail! A hermit crab will grow out of its shell and explore his surroundings to find a new shell. A starfish can grow new legs if it is hurt. A male seahorse carries the baby seahorses instead of a female. A swordfish has a sword-like bill to use to swipe through schools of smaller fish when hunting. While identifying the creatures, you can also encourage your child to describe the colors he/she sees when looking at the different sea creatures.

 

Opposite Identification

The illustrator of this storybook, Valeria Petrone, created scenes in which the main character is larger than some of the animals. As the storybook progress, you will notice that the main character becomes smaller while the animals become larger in reference to what a human would look like next to a given animal. Ask your child to identify who is bigger and who is smaller as you read through the book. Don’t be afraid to challenge your child by asking him/her where in the ocean the animal is swimming: up towards the sky or down at the bottom of the sea. This will encourage your child to use his/her inference skills!

 

Appropriate Social Greetings

As you may notice while listening to Jamie’s song, there is a constant part that includes “hello” and “goodbye.” This is a great opportunity for younger children to practice singing “hello” and “goodbye.” You can also pair a hand motion (wave, fist bump, high five, etc.) when singing “hello” and “goodbye.” Don’t be afraid to take the greetings out of context when the song has become familiar and sing them to your child throughout the day: “Hello, mom! Goodbye, dad!”

 

We hope you enjoy using this book in your homeschooling adventures! For more resources and activities to use with your children, please visit our “Resources” tab located at the top of the page.

 

If you are interested in purchasing Way Down Deep in the Deep Blue Sea, click here.

 

Happy reading!